Fibromyalgia (pronounced fy-bro-my-AL-ja), is a condition that affects five to six million Americans.

Eighty to ninety percent of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia are women and most people are diagnosed during middle age.

Fibromyalgia presents itself as widespread chronic pain, multiple tender points in joints and muscles, sleep disturbances and insomnia, chronic fatigue, stress, anxiety, and an interference with basic daily activities. A high percentage may also have irritable bowel syndrome, which could suggest a food allergy component.

According to the National Institutes of Health web site, many people with fibromyalgia report varying degrees of success with complementary and alternative therapies such as massage, low impact exercise or stretching, chiropractic treatments, vitamins and minerals, eliminating allergic foods, avoiding caffeine or alcohol, and drinking a lot of water.

Vitamin D

Fibromyalgia and arthritis are “rheumatic” conditions — those that are known to impair the joints and/or soft tissues such as muscles and tendons and cause chronic, long-term pain. The Journal of Clinical Rheumatology recently published a study that found vitamin D deficiency is common in fibromyalgia.

A 2010 study published in “International Orthopaedics” also found a significant connection between vitamin D deficiency and arthritis of the knee and recommends that any patient with symptoms of arthritis be screened for vitamin D deficiency.

Allergic Foods

Nutrition expert Ray Sahelian, M.D. writes: “In one study, researchers reviewed medical charts of seventeen fibromyalgia patients who agreed to eliminate common foods from their diet such as corn, wheat, dairy, citrus, soy, nuts and sugar. After two weeks without eating any of the potential food allergens, nearly half of the patients reported significant reduction of pain, and most reported a reduction in other symptoms such as headache, fatigue, bloating, and breathing difficulties.”

Minerals for Fibromyalgia

Calcium and magnesium have been researched for their roles as both natural pain relievers and insomnia remedies. A study from Hong Kong in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (a chiropractic journal), states that supplementing with calcium and magnesium in fibromyalgia reduces the number of tender points. The study concluded that “calcium and magnesium supplements may be indicated as an adjunctive (additional) treatment of fibromyalgia.”

Calcium for Insomnia

Fibromyalgia may be related to or originate out of a sleep disorder. The pioneering nutritionist Adelle Davis says: “A calcium deficiency often shows itself by insomnia, another form of an inability to relax. The harm done by sleeping tablets, to say nothing of the thousands of dollars spent on them, could largely be avoided if the calcium intake were adequate.”

In one study published in the European Neurology Journal, researchers found that calcium levels in the body are higher during some of the deepest levels of sleep, such as the rapid eye movement (REM) phase, and that disturbances in sleep are related to a calcium deficiency.

Natural Sleep Remedy

One natural sleep remedy showing good results with pain and insomnia is Sleep Minerals II made by Nutrition Breakthroughs. It contains highly absorbable forms of calcium and magnesium, along with Vitamin D and zinc. The ingredients are delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier oils, making them more easily assimilated than capsules or tablets and providing a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.

L.C., a Sleep Minerals II customer in Massachusetts, says: “Due to some very stressful issues in my life, I hadn’t slept much in two and a half months and I was prescribed sleeping drugs. I had become dependent on those drugs and couldn’t sleep without them”

“I did my research on the Internet and came across Sleep Minerals II. I started taking two before sleeping and now I can sleep through the whole night without drugs. I m also able to easily fall back asleep if I do get up to use the bathroom in the night. Sleep Minerals II has also helped to alleviate my chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia symptoms.”

Sleep medications, pain drugs or anti-depressants may be prescribed for fibromyalgia, but they tend to just mask the symptoms rather than heal them. It’s a better option to use the tools of healthy diet, gentle exercise, and nutritional supplements to create greater health.

For more information on Sleep Minerals II click here.